Whooping cough outbreak leaves two dead and 50 ill at popular holiday hotspot
Cases of whooping cough, also known as the 100-day cough because of its longevity in patients, has boomed at the start of 2024 with sufferers at the highest in more than a decade and cases reported across Europe
Two people are dead after a 100-day cough spread through a holiday hotspot.
Greece’s National Public Health Organisation confirmed the illness had caused two fatalities in the country. Fifty-four of the cases have been recorded since the start of 2024. Thirty-two of the patients are said to have been children and teens. Eleven babies under the age of one were also affected, according to Ekathethimerini newspaper.
One of the fatal victims was an adult with underlying health conditions. A newborn baby also died. The whooping cough is known to be most deadly for infants and young children.
Health Minister Eirini Agapidaki has urged people to get vaccinated against the illness as the cases continue to surge. Greece is not the only country affected, with several other hotspots having also seen reports.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed that almost all of the cases were detected in babied under the age of three months old.
In its Communicable Disease Threats Report, the EDC flagged rising cases in locations as far flung as Croatia, Norway, the Netherlands and Spain.
"Pertussis (as whooping cough is also known) is an endemic disease worldwide, even in the presence of a programme with high vaccination coverage, with peaks in disease spread every three to five years," the ECDC explained.
"The current increase is potentially linked to lower circulation during the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with sub-optimal vaccination uptake in certain groups. Infants and young children who are too young to be fully vaccinated have also been affected, including several deaths."
A record-breaking number of cases were detected in Czechia this year, 3,101 between January to March, 2024. It’s the largest number seen in 60 years. Croatia saw 6,261 cases of pertussis between January 2023 and March 15 this year.
Another 822 records of whooping cough were registered in Denmark. Norway saw 707 and the Netherlands 1,749. In Spain, there were another 5,242 cases up to March this year.
In the UK, Brits were recently urged to "stay at home" if they have been struck with the illness. The 100-day cough, which can be difficult to spot due to its cold-like symptoms, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. The fast-spreading infection can cause a runny nose, high temperature and a sore throat. In January alone, a staggering 553 cases of the condition were recorded, compared to the 858 cases for the entire of 2023. Members of the public have been told to "stay at home and do not go into work, school or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after symptoms start if they have not had antibiotics".
Patients are thought to struggle more with the infection at night, with coughing bouts reported to last for up to a few minutes. Parents have been warned that young infants could turn blue or grey after suffering from breathing difficulties. Meanwhile, another symptom has been listed as thick mucus, which could lead to vomiting, or turning red in the face which appears more to adults.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
